Selecting subsets of participants in electronic message threads

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer program products, and systems for selecting subsets of participants in electronic message threads. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to exclude participants based, at least in part, on activity level from message conversations, thereby streamlining message conversation and reducing unwanted message communications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of electronicmessages, and more particularly to multi-party electronic messageconversations.

On a daily basis, in both personal and professional lives, people engagein multi-party message conversations using electronic message services,such as email. Typically, when responding to an email message, users canselect a couple of options to select whom they send the message to. Forexample, users can typically select a “Reply” option, which enables auser to respond only to the sender of the original message. Users canalso typically select a “Reply All” option, which enables the user toreply to the sender of the original message as well as all of therecipients of the original message.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, program products,and computer systems for selecting subsets of participants in electronicmessage threads. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method isprovided comprising: identifying a first message; and generating a listof respondents for the first message comprising a sender of the firstmessage, any respondents to the first message, any respondents to achild message of the first message, and any respondents to a siblingmessage of the first message.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a computingenvironment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operational steps for responding toelectronic message threads, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operational steps for selectingsubsets of participants in electronic message threads, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating operational steps for selectingsubsets of participants in electronic message threads, in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example message tree through whichsubsets of participants in electronic message threads can be selected,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of internal and external components of thecomputer systems of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention recognize that in multi-partymessage conversations, only a subset of recipients may respond to andremain active (i.e., continue to respond) within the messageconversation. As such, a user intending to continue the messageconversation with those active individuals may only want to send acommon response to those individuals who are active, while excludingthose who have not responded at all or have stopped responding to themessage conversation. For example, a user who sent out a message to 50recipients may only want to continue the message conversation with thefifteen people who responded. Typically, to accomplish that objective, auser would have to manually identify and provide contact information forthose the fifteen individuals who have responded, such as by selectingan option to reply to all the recipients, identify the user IDs (e.g.,email addresses, usernames, etc.) of the fifteen individuals who haveresponded, and delete the user IDs of the thirty-five individuals whohave not responded. Embodiments of the present invention providesolutions to identify this subset of active participants and continuethe message conversation with those individuals. In this manner, asdiscussed in greater detail in this specification, embodiments of thepresent invention can be used to continue message conversations withouthaving to manually identify these active participants from inactiveparticipants.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a computing environment 100, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Computingenvironment 100 includes client computer system 102 and computer system110, interconnected via network 108. Client computer system 102 andcomputer system 110 can be desktop computers, laptop computers,specialized computer servers, or any other computer systems known in theart. In certain embodiments, client computer system 102 and computersystem 110 represent computer systems utilizing clustered computers andcomponents to act as a single pool of seamless resources when accessedthrough network 108. In certain embodiments, client computer system 102and computer system 110 represent virtual machines. In general, clientcomputer system 102 and computer system 110 are representative of anyelectronic devices, or combination of electronic devices, capable ofexecuting machine-readable program instructions, as described in greaterdetail with regard to FIG. 6.

Client computer system 102 includes application 104 and message analysisprogram 106. Application 104 enables client computer system 102 tomanage electronic messages. For example, application 104 communicateswith computer system 110 via network 108 (e.g., using TCP/IP) and one ormore messaging services (not shown) to access, send, receive, andorganize electronic messages. Application 104 can be implemented, forexample, using a browser and web service that can access, organize,send, and receive messages.

Network 108 can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination of the two, andinclude wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network108 can be any combination of connections and protocols that willsupport communications between client computer system 102 and computersystem 110, in accordance with a desired embodiment of the invention.For illustrative purposes, this embodiment may be discussed with respectto application 104, facilitating sending and receiving electronicmessages between client computer system 102 and computer system 110 vianetwork 108.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart 200 illustrating operational steps for respondingto electronic message threads, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

In step 202, message analysis program 106 receives a selected messagefor reply from application 104. For example, application 104 can providea user interface with which a user selects a message for reply, andapplication 104 can pass the selected message to message analysisprogram 106. In other embodiments, message analysis program 106 canreceive a selected message from one or more other components ofcomputing environment 100.

In step 204, message analysis program 106 constructs a message tree forthe selected message. The term, “message tree”, as used herein, refersto a relational data structure that defines relationships between aselected message and previous or subsequent messages linked to theselected message, outlining the various branches of the selectedmessage. For example, the relationship between the selected message anda subsequent message can be a parent/child relationship (e.g., theselected message, and a response to the selected message). Relationshipsbetween multiple messages sent to more than one individual can bedesignated as having a sibling relationship (e.g., one or more messagessent in parallel to multiple recipients). Each message is associatedwith a respective message ID that distinguishes that message fromanother. The message tree can comprise multiple nodes representing eachmessage in the message thread. In this embodiment, message analysisprogram 106 can configure the nodes to display a preview of the message.In other embodiments, other relational data structures can be used todefine relationships between the selected message and other messages,such as graphs and tables.

In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 constructs a messagetree for the selected message by identifying one or more parents,children, and/or siblings of the selected message and arranging thesubsequent messages to provide a visual display of the relationshipbetween messages. For example, a user could select message 1 (M₁) as theselected message. Message analysis program 106 can then identify that M₁as the parent, and that M₁ was sent to five individuals (one throughfive, respectively). Message analysis program 106 can then classify themessages sent to those five individuals as siblings of the parentmessage, identified earlier as M₁.

In step 206, message analysis program 106 selects recipients for a newmessage based, at least in part, on the constructed message tree andactivity level of recipients of the selected message. Subsets ofrecipients can be identified as active or inactive, based on whetherthat recipient responded to the selected message. For example, arecipient can be inactive if the recipient has not responded to theselected message. An inactive recipient can later become active if theinactive recipient responds, at any point in time, to the selectedmessage, as discussed in greater detail with regard to FIG. 3.

In step 208, message analysis program 106 calls application 104 to senda new message to the selected participants. In this embodiment,application 104 sends the new message to computer system 110. In otherembodiments, application 104 can send the new message to one or moreother components of computing environment 100.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, a message is sent to a subset ofparticipants of an original message based, at least in part, on activitylevel and whether participants have been recipients and/or senders ofother messages related to the original message. In some instances,message analysis program 106 can select a subset of participants basedon activity level. In other instances, message analysis program 106 canselect a subset of participants based on user preference. Identifyingrelated messages that were generated to respond to an original messagesand identifying participants based on the generated responses (i.e.,active participants) can streamline message communications by removinginactive (i.e., those participants that did not respond to the originalmessage) participants from message conversations and reduce unwantedcommunications. Thus, this embodiment can improve message communicationsby identifying subsets of active participants and filtering out inactiveindividuals.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart 300 illustrating operational steps for selectingsubsets of participants in electronic message threads, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. For example, theoperational steps of FIG. 3 can be performed at step 206 of flowchart200.

In step 302, message analysis program 106 identifies the message ID ofthe selected message. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106identifies the message ID (i.e., the unique identifier for a digitalmessage) of the selected message by traversing the message treeconstructed in step 204 of flowchart 200 to read the message ID of theselected message.

In step 304, message analysis program 106 searches for siblings of theselected message. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106searches for siblings of the selected message by traversing the messagestree constructed in step 204 of flowchart 200 and identifying messageshaving a sibling relationship with the selected message.

In step 306, message analysis program 106 generates a list of latestrespondents. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 generatesa list of latest respondents based, at least in part, on activity levelof recipients of the selected message. Each recipient is associated witha respective user ID that serves to distinguish that recipient fromanother. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 can identifyall message IDs of messages found as siblings that are responses to theselected message (i.e., messages generated as responses to the selectedmessage). Message analysis program 106 can then extract the user IDs ofthose individuals in the identified message IDs, and add those user IDsto a “Latest Respondents List”. The phrase “Latest Respondent List”, asused herein, refers to a subset of recipients of a selected message thathave responded to the sender of the selected message.

For example, a user may select a message that was sent to fiverecipients. Message analysis program 106 could construct a message treeand, using the constructed message tree, identify that of the fiverecipients, only three replied. Accordingly, message analysis program106 can identify the message IDs of the messages sent in response to theselected message, extract the user IDs of the three recipients whoresponded to the selected message from the identified messages, and addthose three user IDs the latest respondents list.

In another example, a user may select a message that was sent to fiverecipients (A, B, C, D, and E). Message analysis program 106 canconstruct a message tree and identify, based on the constructed messagetree, that recipients A, B, and C responded and that recipient D did notrespond. Message analysis program 106 can further identify thatrecipient E did not respond to the selected message, but forwarded themessage to recipient F, who did respond to the selected message. Messageanalysis program 106 can then identify and extract the user IDs of thefour recipients who responded (A, B, C and F) and add those user IDs tothe latest respondents list. Recipient D is excluded because recipient Ddid not respond to the selected message. Recipient E is also excludedbecause although recipient E acted on the selected message by forwardingit to recipient F, recipient E did not respond to the selected message.

In yet another example, message analysis program 106 can construct amessage tree for a selected message that was sent to 10 recipients (A-J)as part of message 1 (M₁). Message analysis program 106 can thenidentify, based on the constructed message tree, that five of thoserecipients (A, B, C, D, and E) responded to message M₁. At this junctureof the example, message analysis program 106 can then identify the userIDs of recipients A-E and add those user IDs to the latest respondentslist.

Continuing the above example, the constructed message tree could branchto show that only recipients A, B, and C responded to a subsequentmessage (M₂). If message M₂ was selected, message analysis program 106can identify the message IDs of the messages that were generated torespond to message M₂. Based on those identified message IDs, messageanalysis program 106 can identify the user IDs of recipients A, B, and Cas active participants. Accordingly, message analysis program 106 canthen add the user IDs of recipients A, B, and C to the latestrespondents list. Message analysis program 106 excludes the user IDs ofrecipients D and E from the latest respondents list because they did notrespond to message M₂.

In this embodiment, a recipient of the selected message that may haveresponded to the selected message after a subsequent messagecommunication to the subset of recipients who responded earlier can alsobe added to the latest respondents list and receive future messagecommunications. For example, a user may select a message that was sentto six recipients (A, B, C, D, E, and F). Message analysis program 106could construct a message tree and identify that five of thoserecipients (A, B, C, D, and E) responded to the selected message(S_(M)). Message analysis program 106 can then select the email IDs ofrecipients A, B, C, D, and E to send a subsequent message (M_(SM)).Subsequent to the sending of message M_(SM), recipient F, the sixthindividual in message S_(M), could reply to message S_(M). Messageanalysis program 106 can then add the email ID of recipient F to thelatest respondents list for message M_(SM). Thus, in future messages,the latest respondents list would include recipients A, B, C, D, E, andF.

In other embodiments, message analysis program 106 can prompt the userto send the history of a message communication to the recipient whoresponded after subsequent message communications transpired. Forexample, a user (U_(A)) may select a message (M₁) that was sent to sixrecipients (A, B, C, D, E, and F). Message analysis program 106 canconstruct a message tree and identify that five of those recipients (A,B, C, D, and E) responded to message M₁. Message analysis program 106can further identify, via the constructed message tree, that U_(A) senta subsequent message (M₂) to recipients A, B, C, D, and E. Messageanalysis program 106 can further identify via the constructed messagetree that user U_(A) sent another subsequent message (M₃) to those samerecipients. Message analysis program 106 can further identify thatsubsequent to message M₃, recipient F, responded to message M₁. Messageanalysis program 106 can then add recipient F to the latest respondentslist and prompt user U_(A) to send previous message communications M₂and M₃ to recipient F.

In step 308, message analysis program 106 adds the user ID of the senderof a new message to the latest respondents list (i.e., the sender of aresponse). In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 reads themessage ID of the sender from the message header of the new message. Forexample, in an email message, message analysis program 106 can identifythe user ID of the sender from the header field which displays the userID of the sender in the new message.

In step 310, message analysis program 106 adds all user IDs in the“latest respondents list” to the “recipient field” of a new message. Theterm, “recipient field”, as used herein, refers to a field where userIDs of intended recipients of a new message can be entered. Therecipient field can be denoted in application 104 in the header of a newmessage.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, a list of latest respondents isgenerated based on activity level. Identifying respondents based onactivity level can improve message communications by removing inactiverespondents from message conversations and reducing unwanted messages.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart 400 illustrating operational steps for selectingsubsets of participants in electronic message threads, in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention. For example, theoperational steps of FIG. 3 can be performed at step 206 of flowchart200.

In step 402, message analysis program 106 displays a visualrepresentation of the message tree to the user. In this embodiment,message analysis program 106 uses the message tree constructed in step204 of flowchart 200 to display the visual representation of the messagetree to the user. For example, the visual representation of the messagetree can have branches to show messages and their relationships to eachother. In other embodiments, the visual representation of the messagetree displayed to the user can be in the form of a list of messages andtheir relationships. Other embodiments of the visual representation ofthe message tree can be graphs and/or tables that define relationshipsbetween the selected message and other messages.

In step 404, message analysis program 106 records user selections. Inthis embodiment, message analysis program 106 records user selections byprompting the user to select one or more messages, reading the messageIDs from the selected messages, and extracting each respective user IDfrom the selected messages.

For example, message analysis program 106 can display the message treeconstructed in step 204 of flowchart 200. The displayed message tree fora selected message (M₁), can indicate that message M₁ was sent to fiverecipients (A, B, C, D, and E). The constructed message tree can furthershow that recipients A, B, and C responded with messages M₂, M₃, and M₄,respectively. The constructed message tree can further show thatrecipient D did not respond. The constructed message tree can furthershow that recipient E responded to message M₁ creating message 5 (M₅),and subsequently forwarded the message creating message 6 (M₆) torecipient F, who did respond to M₁. A user can then select messagesM₂₋₆. Message analysis program 106 can extract the user IDs belonging tothose individuals associated with messages M₂₋₆ (recipients A, B, C, E,and F), and add those user IDs to the reply-to some list.

In step 406, message analysis program 106 adds the user ID of theselected messages as well as the user ID of the sender to the reply-tosome list. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 reads theuser ID of the sender from the message header of the new message to addthe user ID of the sender to the reply-to some list. Message analysisprogram 106 then adds the user IDs identified from the selected messagesto the “Reply-to Some” List. The phrase, “Reply-to Some list”, as usedherein, refers to a subset of original recipients with which the senderchooses to continue the message communication.

In step 408, message analysis program 106 confirms that no additionalmessages are to be selected. In this embodiment, message analysisprogram 106 prompts the user to confirm that no additional messages areto be selected and processed to extract user IDs to add to the reply-tosome list.

In step 410, message analysis program 106 adds all user IDs in the“Reply-to Some list” to the “recipient field” of the new message beingcreated to reply to the selected message.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, a subset of participants of an originalmessage are identified based, at least in part, on user preference and aconstructed message tree. Identifying participants based on theconstructed message tree can help improve message communications byproviding a user a visual display of messages that a user may otherwisehave overlooked.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram 500 of an example message tree through whichsubsets of participants in electronic message threads can be selected,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In thisexample, message analysis program 106 can identify, via a constructedmessage tree, that message 1 (M₁) was sent in parallel to sixindividuals with respective user IDs A-F from user ID α.

In this instance, if message M₁ was selected, message analysis program106 can identify that, three messages (M₂₋₄) responded to message M₁.Message analysis program 106 can then extract the user IDs from thethree identified messages and add the user IDs of recipients A-C to thelatest respondents list. Message analysis program 106 would not identifyrecipients E and F as latest respondents because, although recipients Eand F acted on message M₁ by generating message M₉ and message M₁₂, therecipients forwarded the selected message (i.e., message M₁) instead ofresponding to it.

If message M₅ was selected, message analysis program 106 can identifythat two messages responded (M₆₋₇) to M₁. Message analysis program 106can extract the user IDs from the two identified messages and add theuser IDs of recipients A and B to the latest respondents list. Althoughrecipient C used to be on the latest respondents list, recipient C wouldno longer be added to the latest respondent list since recipient C didnot respond to the selected message (i.e., M₅).

If message M₁₀ was selected, message analysis program 106 can identifythat message M₁₀ was a message generated in response to message M₁.Message analysis program 106 can further identify that messages M₂₋₄were also generated in response to message M₁. Accordingly, messageanalysis program 106 can extract the user IDs from messages M₂₋₄, and 10and add recipients A, B, C, and G to the latest respondents list.Message analysis program 106 can further prompt the sender to confirmwhether to send previous message communications to user G that user Gdid not receive. Continuing the above example, message analysis program106 can identify that message M₅ was sent before individual G respondedto message M₁. In this embodiment, message analysis program 106 canprompt the sender to confirm whether to send the previous messagecommunication, message M₅, to individual G.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of internal and external components of acomputer system 600, which is representative the computer systems ofFIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Itshould be appreciated that FIG. 6 provides only an illustration of oneimplementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to theenvironments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Ingeneral, the components illustrated in FIG. 6 are representative of anyelectronic device capable of executing machine-readable programinstructions. Examples of computer systems, environments, and/orconfigurations that may be represented by the components illustrated inFIG. 6 include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems,server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, laptop computersystems, tablet computer systems, cellular telephones (e.g., smartphones), multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, networkPCs, minicomputer systems, mainframe computer systems, and distributedcloud computing environments that include any of the above systems ordevices.

Computer system 600 includes communications fabric 602, which providesfor communications between one or more processors 604, memory 606,persistent storage 608, communications unit 612, and one or moreinput/output (I/O) interfaces 614. Communications fabric 602 can beimplemented with any architecture designed for passing data and/orcontrol information between processors (such as microprocessors,communications and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheraldevices, and any other hardware components within a system. For example,communications fabric 602 can be implemented with one or more buses.

Memory 606 and persistent storage 608 are computer-readable storagemedia. In this embodiment, memory 606 includes random access memory(RAM) 616 and cache memory 618. In general, memory 606 can include anysuitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage media.Software is stored in persistent storage 608 for execution and/or accessby one or more of the respective processors 604 via one or more memoriesof memory 606.

Persistent storage 608 may include, for example, a plurality of magnetichard disk drives. Alternatively, or in addition to magnetic hard diskdrives, persistent storage 608 can include one or more solid state harddrives, semiconductor storage devices, read-only memories (ROM),erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM), flash memories, or anyother computer-readable storage media that is capable of storing programinstructions or digital information.

The media used by persistent storage 608 can also be removable. Forexample, a removable hard drive can be used for persistent storage 608.Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, andsmart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto anothercomputer-readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage608.

Communications unit 612 provides for communications with other computersystems or devices via a network (e.g., network 108). In this exemplaryembodiment, communications unit 612 includes network adapters orinterfaces such as a TCP/IP adapter cards, wireless Wi-Fi interfacecards, or 3G or 4G wireless interface cards or other wired or wirelesscommunication links. The network can comprise, for example, copperwires, optical fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. Software and data usedto practice embodiments of the present invention can be downloaded toclient computer system 102 through communications unit 612 (e.g., viathe Internet, a local area network or other wide area network). Fromcommunications unit 612, the software and data can be loaded ontopersistent storage 608.

One or more I/O interfaces 614 allow for input and output of data withother devices that may be connected to computer system 600. For example,I/O interface 614 can provide a connection to one or more externaldevices 620 such as a keyboard, computer mouse, touch screen, virtualkeyboard, touch pad, pointing device, or other human interface devices.External devices 620 can also include portable computer-readable storagemedia such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical or magneticdisks, and memory cards. I/O interface 614 also connects to display 622.

Display 622 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and can be,for example, a computer monitor. Display 622 can also be an incorporateddisplay and may function as a touch screen, such as a built-in displayof a tablet computer.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles ofthe embodiment, the practical application or technical improvement overtechnologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer system comprising: one or more computer processors; one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; and program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to identify a first message; program instructions to generate a list of respondents for the first message comprising a sender of the first message, any respondents to the first message, any respondents to a child message of the first message, and any respondents to a sibling message of the first message, wherein the program instructions to generate the list of respondents for the first message comprise the following: program instructions to identify one or more message IDs of the first message, one or more message IDs of any messages generated in response to the first message, one or more message IDs of any messages generated in response to the child of the first message, and one or more message IDs of any messages generated in response to the sibling message of the first message, and program instructions to, responsive to identifying user IDs associated with the identified message IDs, generate a list of respondents for the first message comprising the identified user IDs associated with the identified message IDs; program instructions to generate a first new message addressed to all respondents in the generated list of respondents for the first message; program instructions to construct a relational data structure for a message thread, wherein the relational data structure defines one or more relationships between the first message and one or more other messages in the message thread, wherein each relationship of the one or more relationships is a parent relationship, child relationship, or sibling relationship; program instructions to display a visual representation of the constructed relational data structure for the message thread, wherein displaying the visual representation of the constructed relational data structure for the message thread comprises displaying a message tree for the message thread; program instructions to receive a user selection of one or more messages in the message thread via the displayed visual representation of the constructed relational data structure; program instructions to, responsive to identifying a user ID for each of the selected messages, generate a list of participants for a second new message comprising the identified user IDs for each of the selected messages; and program instructions to generate the second new message addressed to all participants in the generated list of participants. 